Well, month two was a little more challenging parenting Ms. Nadia, but it was also a lot of fun starting to see her personality shine. Fun tip, fussiness tends to peak around 6-8 weeks, so we were stretched to find new ways to comfort her. Rocking, baby-wearing, nursing, singing, and playing reggae music are our weapons of choice! Around six weeks she started consistently smiling at Daniel and me, and wow- I’m not sure there is anything better than those baby smiles! We have also been surprised to see the strength she has gained– she doesn’t always love tummy time, but she is starting to hold her head on her own and can really throw her body around when she’s hungry! Week to week we find she is awake for much longer periods and enjoys when we talk to her, make silly faces, and sing songs.
The biggest challenge we faced was discovering that Nadia has a cow milk allergy a little before Thanksgiving. She stopped sleeping as well, was having MASSIVE spit-ups, crazy-looking diapers, and in general was just more irritable– it was hard for everyone. To make matters worse she got her first clogged tear duct and stuffy nose that same week. She absolutely hated us for washing her eye lids several times daily and trying to clear her nose. There were days when I felt like such a failure– I was poisoning my daughter through my breastmilk (oops!) and awkwardly (unsuccessfully) trying to use the bulb syringe and de-gunk her eyes. A week or so into my dairy elimination diet, Nadia seemed to be mostly feeling better and I started to feel like “maybe I haven’t broken my perfect angel baby.” I’m relieved we were able to identify the problem and as much as breastfeeding can be annoying, I very much am happy we were able to stay an exclusive breastfeeding family!
We enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving (COVID-style) this month– we took a long walk in the morning and sat outside and ate our turkey and fixings on paper plates on my parent’s patio. Crazy to think this time next year, Nadia will be able to try eating turkey and stuffing and everything else! I’m sure our Christmas celebrations will be equally low-key, which is fine. Nadia truly was the best gift we could possibly receive.
Things Nadia is loving these days:
-The Christmas tree! She really enjoys looking at the Christmas lights.
-Singing, and especially the song “Wheels on the Bus”– perhaps because it’s one of the few children’s songs I can actually remember the words 😉 We also discovered that Reggae music often calms her down when she’s upset. I highly recommend checking out “Reggae Christmas” on Amazon music.
-Her contrast cards and the set of curtains in our kitchen–she will happily stare at both, babbling to herself for several minutes.
-Me! It’s both wonderful and exhausting being her MVP 😉 Maybe Daniel will surpass me during his paternity leave in January.
Things Nadia is NOT loving:
-Bottle feeding– we got some new ideas from the lactation consultant this week and we’re going to keep offering a bottle every morning until I go back to work. Hopefully Nadia and Daddy will figure this out!
-Pacifiers– mostly she just likes to lick her pacifier so we stopped offering it. I just feel ridiculous holding a pacifier so she can lick it at her leisure 😉
Things I am loving these days:
-The Crown! I tried watching this show a couple of years ago and couldn’t get into the storyline, but I really enjoyed watching seasons 1-3! I’m sure I’ll finish season 4 before I go back to work. I had to stop watching Grey’s Anatomy re-runs, I could feel my brain rotting away 😉
-Long walks– Win-win, as Nadia likes being outside and I like the change of scenery from inside our house. The cold weather can’t stop us! We either walk after lunch or when Daniel finishes working.
-Califala Farms almond milk creamer– the WORST part of going dairy-free was giving up milk in my coffee. Having good coffee is an essential for me, especially with waking up with a newborn at night.
-“Latched Mama” brand clothing– I actually feel attractive wearing my new nursing/ pumping tops. Everyone is different, but after a couple weeks I was ready to wear real clothes vs. pjs/ robes.
-Virtual-consultations with a lactation consultant– both times were SO helpful! I learned a few new positions that have greatly reduced the spit-up (and therefore turned the everyday laundry task into a couple times a week).Don’t get me wrong, breastfeeding can be a huge pain in the butt, but I just don’t feel ready to quit. When it’s good, the snuggles are amazing and I really don’t want to have to start making bottles because she still sometimes wakes up for night feedings.
Well, I guess that’s it! We shall see what month three has in store!
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